No matter whether you’ve decided to invest in a top of the range, exotic, solid wood floor or a budget engineered option, it’s essential that you pay respect to the environment in which you will lay your floor. The humidity and moisture levels in both the room and in the subfloor where your new floor will be installed are extremely important factors to take into consideration. In fact, even if moisture and humidity levels in your room are minimal, it’s a good idea to acclimatise your floor to its new environment before laying it.
Acclimatising solid and engineered wood flooring before fitting will minimise the expansion and contraction of the wood after it’s laid, thus reducing the risk of damage, post installation. In order to accurately acclimatise wood, it’s important that the acclimatisation process takes place in the site or area where the floor is to be installed. Although reasonable results can be achieved by acclimatising your wood flooring in similar conditions, ideally you should aim to carry out the process in the actual location. Doing this will help enable the wood to naturally adjust its moisture content to correspond with that of the site.
When it comes to subfloors, it is also really important to establish the moisture levels you’re dealing with before fitting your new wood flooring. If your subfloor is timber, you should ideally take around 30 moisture readings across the entire area to establish whether or not you are facing a moisture problem. Ideally, you’re aiming for a consistent average across your readings of no more than 2-3%. If you do happen to notice that you have an isolated high reading, there wouldn’t normally be anything to worry about. That said, if you find that humidity and moisture are fluctuating significantly across your readings, you shouldn’t ignore this information. If your readings seem worrying in any way, it’s worth making further assessments and taking remedial action if necessary. At the end of the day, it’s never worth laying a new floor over a subfloor that has issues that have been left ignored. Ideally, you’re looking for the moisture content of your subfloor to be 2% or less.
If your subfloor is concrete and recently laid, you’re likely to face more of a challenge when it comes to moisture. Ideally you should aim to have a reading of somewhere between 35 and 40% humidity air or 2-3% moisture content before laying your new floor. With concrete slabs taking an estimated month per inch to dry out, this can become quite a challenge. In many cases, the ideal moisture and humidity percentages are nigh on impossible to obtain, so remedial action often needs to be taken. In these instances, the application of a surface damp proof membrane of either polythene or a paint-on damp proof product is desirable.
There are certain factors that you should bear in mind when measuring moisture content, such as whether or not the room (or environment) is heated, how it is heated and how frequently it is heated. Ideally, you should aim to take your readings once the room (or environment) has achieved a degree of stability in its conditions.
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FAQ
1. Why is it essential to consider the humidity and moisture levels when installing a floor?
The humidity and moisture levels in both the room and the subfloor where your new floor will be installed are extremely important. These factors can affect the longevity and stability of your floor. Hence, it is crucial to pay respect to the environment in which you will lay your floor.
2. What is the purpose of acclimatising wood flooring before fitting?
Acclimatising solid and engineered wood flooring before fitting minimises the expansion and contraction of the wood after it’s laid. This helps to reduce the risk of damage post installation.
3. How should I measure the moisture levels in a timber subfloor?
Ideally, you should take around 30 moisture readings across the entire area of your timber subfloor. You’re aiming for a consistent average across your readings of no more than 2-3%. If you find significant fluctuations in humidity and moisture across your readings, you should seek further assessments and take remedial action if necessary.
4. What should I do if my concrete subfloor has high moisture content?
If your subfloor is concrete and recently laid, you’re likely to face more challenges with moisture. In many cases, the ideal moisture and humidity percentages are hard to obtain, so remedial action often needs to be taken. The application of a surface damp proof membrane of either polythene or a paint-on damp proof product is usually recommended.
5. What factors should I consider when measuring moisture content?
You should take into account whether or not the room (or environment) is heated, how it is heated and how frequently it is heated. The readings should ideally be taken once the room (or environment) has achieved a degree of stability in its conditions.